


Winning Bid

by Jacie



Category: NCIS
Genre: Bachelor Auction, Charity Auctions, First Dates, M/M, Nature, Picnics, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 10:15:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19810216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie/pseuds/Jacie
Summary: Tony is asked to participate as a date in a silent auction for charity. On the night of the auction, the winning bid for his date requested to remain anonymous. Who is the generous soul? Tony has to wait until the date to find out.





	1. The Charity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Red_Pink_Dots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Pink_Dots/gifts), [cutsycat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Artwork Prompts Challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14914700) by [Red_Pink_Dots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Pink_Dots/pseuds/Red_Pink_Dots). 



> This story was inspired by a prompt from cutsycat and an art prompt by red_pink_dots:
> 
>   
> 
> 
> Disclaimer:  
> Don’t know them. It’s not true. I made it all up. 

It was nearing the end of the day when Vance asked Tony to stop by his office. He was just picking up his briefcase when Tony entered. “I’ll be brief,” Vance said as he motioned to the conference table. “Would you be interested in donating some time to a charity?”

Tony’s eyes surveyed the room. “Seriously? What charity?”

“Sit, please. You remember the Shane Warner case from last year?”

Tony nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“His sisters have put together a charity in their brother’s name, along with his former SO. They reached out regarding an event they’re organizing and asked if I might have any single agents interested in participating.”

“Single?”

“Yes. You are single, correct?” Vance asked. 

“Well, yeah, but why would that matter?”

Vance pushed a copy of a letter toward Tony. “Read it. If you’re interested, give them a call. No obligation at all. If you’re not interested, feel free to give it to any other single person.”

“Gibbs?”

Vance laughed. “Even I wasn’t going to go there. Good night, Agent DiNozzo.”

“Good night, sir.” Walking out of the director’s office, Tony scanned over the letter, then folded it and tucked it into his back pocket before he took the stairs back down to the bullpen.

“That was quick,” said Tim, his eyes never leaving his monitor.

“And confidential,” Tony replied. “If I tell you, I’d have to kill you.”

Finally looking up, Tim snorted. “Whatever. Do you want to grab a bite to eat?”

“No plans with DOD Delilah?”

“She’s meeting a college friend for dinner.” 

“Okay, you can be my wingman.” 

Turning off his computer, Tim glanced over to Tony. “I don’t want to pick anyone up. I’m just hungry.”

“Food for you and maybe a little honey for me.” Hoisting his pack, Tony nodded toward the elevator. “Let’s get out of here before Gibbs tells us we have another case.”

Tim glanced around quickly, then headed for the elevator, right on Tony’s heels. 

“You, too, Bishop,” Tony called over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

“You guys go on. I’m just finishing this report. I’ll be right behind you.”

Once they were inside the elevator and the door slid closed, Tim tried again. “What did Vance want?”

“Stop digging, McSnoopy. It’s a highly confidential matter and none of your business.”

Three hours later, Tony poured himself a glass of wine and sat on his couch ready to relax and watch a movie. After flipping through his options, he opted for the light-hearted _A Hard Day’s Night_. As the movie began rolling, he remembered the letter in his pocket and pulled it out to read it. It sparked enough interest that he paused the movie and read the letter twice. 

The next day, Tony made a call to the number on the letter. His call went to a general voicemail box, where he left his name and number. In the afternoon, he received a call back inviting him to a participant seminar later in the week.

On Thursday night, he found himself in the banquet room of an Italian restaurant, complete with food and beverages. The gathering included men and women of a multitude of ages, dressed in business or casual wear. Tony was wearing a suit. 

He recognized Shane Warner’s sisters, Bonnie, Betty and Shelly, all conversing with Arty, Shane’s boyfriend at the time of his death. Shane had been a Marine who had been outed and beaten on a few occasions. Tony’s team had investigated his death as a possible hate crime, but had been assured by Ducky that the young man had suffered from a brain aneurysm, that was no one’s fault. It was a sad case and the family had been devastated. 

Bonnie was the oldest of the group and took the microphone first, thanking all of the attendees for their interest. She began with a brief story of their family and how much they loved and missed their brother. 

“Shane was an amazing brother, a dedicated Marine and a wonderful person, whose life was sadly cut short. His untimely death was difficult on our family in many ways, mostly emotionally and financially. We all learned a lot from his death and wanted to do something positive in his name. Shane used to call us his angels, so we felt it fitting to create a charity under the name of Shane’s Angels. What our charity does is to help other families who have lost loved ones who were serving their country in the Marines or Navy. We offer emotional and financial support to families in need. We have asked you here to assist with a fundraiser for our charity. There is no cost to you. We are only asking that you donate your time to what we feel is a worthy cause. Arty will fill you in.”

Arty stood up and smiled, waiting for Bonnie to sit down before he began talking. “Shane was a very fun-loving young man, full of life and the spirit of a patriot. His death was a devastatingly sad time for us all, but we know Shane would not want us to be sad. He’d want us to move on, with a smile, and find happiness. I spent a lot of time brainstorming on fundraising events that Shane would have enjoyed. Most of you probably don’t know that Shane and I met at an auction. It was held to raise money for one of his fellow-Marine’s son who had been diagnosed with cancer. And it was indeed a bachelor auction. That was our first date, and I must say, it went very well. We have reached out to several services asking if they have any singles who might be willing to participate in a similar auction.”

Arty paused to allow the participants to let his words sink in. He took a drink from his water glass and smiled to Shane’s sisters. When the murmuring subsided, he continued. “All we ask is that any of you who are interested, please fill out one of the forms we are handing out. Read it over, and just let us know what sort of dates you are interested in, as well as if you are interested in going on a date with a man or woman, or if you have no preference. We will contact suppliers who can help bring your date to life. For instance, we have several restaurants willing to supply meals, clubs and other venues willing to donate tickets to shows, concerts and sporting events, limo services willing to provide transportation. Your date will not cost you a thing, only your time.”

As Arty took his seat, Betty took over the microphone. “We only ask that you be available on the date noted on the forms. That is our auction date. And also you will need to be available for the actual date. Please put down any sort of dates you are open to, whether it’s a dinner and a moonlit stroll, or a concert, a picnic or whatever you are interested in. We will do our best to find sponsors and in trade, we give them free advertising. We’ll put together a website featuring all of our bachelors and bachelorettes with their possible dating options, so our bidders will have a good idea of who they want to bid on before the auction.”

With a smile, Betty handed the microphone over to Shelly. “As this is a fundraiser, you may want to know how the money is raised and how much will go to the charity. Our goal is to help families, so we do our best to keep our organizational costs down by soliciting and using donations. On our auction night, those who wish to attend will purchase a ticket, which will include a meal and an open bar. Those of you who choose to participate in the auction will receive a free ticket and are encouraged to mingle with the bidders. The venue, food, beverages and staff are all from donations or volunteers. We anticipate at least ninety-five percent of funds raised will go to those in need while up to five percent will be used for our administration and website costs. Any amount over our expenses will be included with the donations.” 

Taking back the microphone, Arty continued. “For those of you who are convinced you want to donate your time to this worthy cause, please feel free to fill out your forms now. You can hand them back to us tonight or mail them back to us at your convenience. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. For those with questions, please come up to the microphone over to the left.”

Tony reviewed the form that was in front of him during twenty minutes of questions and answers. Smiling, he noticed that many questions being asked were answered on the form itself, if people bothered to read it. Before the event was over, he’d filled out his form and handed it over to Arty as he shook the man’s hand.

When Arty thanked him for his participation, Tony flashed a smile and said it was a pleasure to help such a worthy cause.

********* 

Two months later, Gibbs stepped into Vance’s office and noticed the charity catalog sitting on the table. Picking it up, he thumbed through it, raising his eyebrows when he came across Tony’s smiling countenance.

“I appreciate DiNozzo being willing to take part,” said Vance as he poured a glass of water.

“He what?”

“They were looking for eligible bachelors, so I asked Tony if he would mind participating. The charity organizers sent that over as a preview. NCIS has purchased a table for the event, if you’re interested in going.”

“To watch Tony get auctioned off?”

“It’s not like that. It’s a silent auction. And there are other things being auctioned off as well. The dates are just a part of it.”

Gibbs continued reading through Tony’s page seeing the things he’d offered to participate in: a picnic or dinner, and one activity, which could be a hot air balloon ride, skydiving, horseback riding, or a concert, play or sports event to be determined by the charity. “What’s this?” he half-mumbled to himself.

Looking over his shoulder, Vance glanced across the page. “That? Apparently he’s willing to go on a date with a male or female. Shane Warner was gay. I applaud DiNozzo’s willingness to make that open offer for the cause.”

“Yeah. Could be interesting.”

Reaching for a file, Vance noted, “I didn’t bring you up here to discuss DiNozzo’s participation in a charity event.”

“Didn’t think you did.”


	2. The Auction

On the night of the charity auction, Tony dressed up in his tailored tuxedo and paid a professional to style his hair for the event. He spent a few minutes in front of his mirror practicing flashing his smile and being charming. 

Wanting to make an entrance, he waited until he was certain most of the bidders would have already arrived. As a participant, his name tag bore his lot number, preferences and a blue ribbon. He was told there were thirty dates to be auctioned off. He was number five. 

As it was a silent auction, he and the other participants were asked to mix and mingle with the guests. Tony perused the display tables, reviewing the other items. There were other items up for auction besides the dates. While most were grouped packages and gift baskets, there were a couple of hotel weekends, meals at local restaurants and jewelry up for auction. While he was also allowed to bid, he didn’t. However, he did make a cash donation to the event.

After ordering a glass of red wine, he sauntered over to the tables with the date auctions. There were set out in numerical order. Each bachelor or bachelorette had a color photo in a frame. Below that were two sheets in plastic taped down to the table. One sheet had photos that included the bachelor or bachelorette, then photos depicting the activities they had offered to participate in for their dates. Tony’s sheet had a shot of him, then smaller photos of a fine restaurant dinner, another of a picnic, and others depicting horseback riding, a hot air balloon, skydiving, river rafting, a concert, a basketball game and a night at the movies. 

Beside all that was a stack of bid sheets with his name and number. The sheet bore his auction number and informed potential bidders of dates he would be available for, and that he was open to going on a date with a man or woman. The bidder would then have to choose if they wanted dinner at a restaurant or a picnic lunch. They would then choose one of the activities. There was a note that if they chose multiple items, the charity would choose between them. If it was left blank, the charity would also make the choice between all the options.

Walking up and down the aisle, Tony did his best to surreptitiously compare how many of his bid sheets were left in comparison to the others. Anyone could take the bid sheets and envelopes though. They could decide later who they really wanted to bid on. Silent bids were sealed into envelopes and could be handed to a charity volunteer, or the bidder could walk their bids to a collection box at the front of the room and could deposit their envelope personally. 

Tony spent the next two hours schmoozing with potential bidders and enjoying the delicious food that had been donated. He alternated drinking wine and water, not wanting to embarrass himself by drinking too much. At the far end of the room, opposite the entrance, was a stage where a band was playing. Although there was a small dance floor, not many people were dancing.

He’d spotted the NCIS table earlier and finally made his way over to greet his friends. Vance had said he’d paid for the table, but Tony wasn’t sure if that meant he personally donated the funds or if he’d had approved for the agency cover the cost. No matter, it was a twelve-top for a three hundred and fifty dollar donation. Tony had heard tickets were thirty-five dollars each, so buying a table was like getting two free tickets. 

Vance reached out to shake Tony’s hand, while the others nodded and said hello. Glancing around, he saw Gibbs browsing through the auction packages. “I think there’s a boat rental up for grabs.”

“They have a nice selection of packages to bid on. Something for everyone,” said Vance. “I’m sure Kayla would love the spa day.” 

Abby’s eyes lit up. “If you want to bid on it for her, I would be delighted to take her. If you win, of course.” 

“Of course.”

“What did you bid on?” Tony asked her.

“Lots of things! I will be in so much trouble if I win it all. I absolutely bid on a couple of the concert packages. It’s so cool that they include getting to meet the bands. I may have bid on a spa day and a weekend hotel package,” she admitted.

“Yeah, you better hope you don’t win it all.”

“Well, it is all for charity; it’s all for a good cause. And this food is amazing! It’s totally worth the price of admission.” 

Tony nodded and sipped his wine. “And it was all donated. Shane would be so proud of his sisters for all the good work they’ve done. They have a booklet featuring the stories of all the families they’ve helped through the charity.” 

Arty stepped over to the table and tapped Tony’s arm. “I have some friends that would just love to meet you,” he said as he whisked Tony away.

Throughout the evening, Tony made sure to walk close to the table to watch the stack of bid sheets dwindle. Volunteers kept an eye on the bid sheets also. He was certain they had a stack of originals in the back, and access to a copier. 

Bonnie, Betty, Shelly and Arty took turns passing a cordless microphone around and would visit each table and describe what was up for bid and give the bid numbers for any interested party. 

Tony counted thirty gift packs up for auction, in addition to the thirty dates. He figured it was very unlikely everyone would bid. Even so, it was a lovely dinner with a band to entertain. That alone seemed well worth the cost of the admission. 

His nerves got the better of him when Arty called out that there were only fifteen minutes left for people to get their bids in. Once again, groups of volunteers passed by every table offering to pick up the bid envelopes. 

After they announced bidding was closed, dessert was served while the envelopes were sorted and counted. 

Shelly stepped forward and began reading out the winners of the first fifteen gift baskets and packages. Winners were allowed to step forward to grab their prize when their name was called, if they wanted to pay immediately, or they could opt to have the charity deliver their package at an arranged date and time after a check had been mailed in. Betty then read the list of winners for the next fifteen gift packages that had been auctioned. 

Arty stood up to read off the winners of the first fifteen auctioned dates. Tony felt his hands were beginning to sweat, so he found a napkin to wipe them on. When Arty called out his number, Tony held his breath waiting to find out who he’d be taking on a date.

“Well, we have a shy winner here, folks. A generous patron has won a date with number five, but would like to remain anonymous. With our highest winning bid of the evening, we thank this bidder for the three-thousand dollar donation. We have your information and will be in touch with you with the details of your date.”

Tony nearly fell down. Most dates had been won for one to three hundred dollars. There was only one other date with a winning bid that was over two thousand dollars and that was with a celebrity news anchor that featured a very nice dinner, a limo ride and tickets to a play. Abby immediately ran over to Tony and hugged him.

“Was it you?” he whispered.

“No, but you’re so awesome! You raised three thousand dollars all by yourself!”

“I guess I was super charming tonight,” Tony said with a smile.


	3. The Date

Tony did his best not to be bothered by the fact that he had no idea who won his auction. As the days passed, he occasionally grumbled about why the person insisted on remaining anonymous. “It’s not like I won’t find out eventually,” he whined.

“And you don’t even know if it’s a man or a woman?” Tim asked.

“No clue.”

“Must be someone pretty special,” Bishop added, her eyes focused on her monitor. “It was the highest bid of the entire auction. Someone really wanted that date.”

Tim chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe they put their bid on the wrong sheet!”

Grabbing a piece of paper, Tony wadded it up and tossed it at Tim’s head. “No one who bids three grand is going to fill out the wrong sheet. I was wearing my tailored tux and flashing my flawless smile. I was irresistible!” 

Bishop finally looked up from her screen. “Maybe it was arty! It’s been almost two years since Shane died.” 

“Right,” said Tim. “And he met Shane at a bachelor date auction as well. Who else would donate so much to the charity?”

Gibbs walked around the corner at a quick pace, coffee in hand. “Someone who knows a good cause when they see one.”

“But why Tony?” Tim wondered aloud. “There were twenty-nine other dates up for grabs. Why drop three grand on Tony?” 

Straightening up, Tony smiled broadly. “Obviously, a generous soul who has very good taste. Maybe Bishop is right. It could have been Arty.”

“Fantasize about your date on your own time, DiNozzo. We have a case to solve,” Gibbs said sternly. 

“Yes, Boss, of course.”

********* 

A week after the auction, Tony received a letter noting that his date had requested a picnic in a field of wildflowers and a horseback ride to follow. Arty added a note that Tony was to pick up a pre-packed picnic basket donated by a winery and that his date asked to meet him at the designated location.

Arty mentioned that he had reached out to a park that had a field of wildflowers within view of a picturesque mountain. At his request for the charity, they agreed to reserve the area for two hours for the date. As they also had riding trails, it had been arranged for a nearby stable to trailer over four horses and two wranglers for the afternoon. There was also a note that due to the generous bid, they were including a donated helicopter ride around the park and back to DC, if Tony was agreeable, which he was. 

The scheduled day for the date turned out to be beautifully sunny, but not uncomfortably hot. Tony wanted to impress the high bidder, so he opted to wear a suit and a blue tie. He finished his outfit with his cowboy boots since they would be riding after lunch. He remembered buying them for the trip to Arizona, which had been the first time he’d ridden in years. It wasn’t that bad. And he’d known a lot of women liked horses, so it seemed like something someone would like.

A limousine picked him up and stopped at the winery so he could pick up his picnic basket. The woman at the shop explained that it was packed with sealed ice packs and they were expected to return basket, along with all the dishware and utensils. 

“No paper plates?” Tony asked.

“No, it’s a fine dining lunch including a bottle of our best red wine.”

“Really? Nice. What else is on the menu?”

“Apparently the winning bidder requested medium rare roast beef sandwiches, so that’s your main course. We’ve included some homemade chips and a couple of side salads, fresh fruit, along with a cheese and cracker platter and a vegetable tray.”

“And the wine.” 

“We’ve included bottled water as well.”

“It sounds delicious. Thank you so much!”

“It’s our pleasure to help out a worthy cause. Enjoy your picnic, Mr. DiNozzo!”

Tony nearly groaned at the weight of the basket, which was huge. 

“Do you need a hand?” the woman called to him as he was heading toward the door.

“No, thank you. I’ve got it. I should have known with real plates and dishes, plus a bottle of wine, that it would weigh a bit.”

“It will be worth it, I promise.”

“Thanks again.”

The limo driver opened the door for Tony and offered to hold the basket while he got inside. The basket was then settled on the floor of the limo as they pulled away from the curb. Tony was surprised to find it was another ninety minutes to the field in the park. 

As the driver, who had introduced himself as Sam, pulled over, Tony was in awe of the beauty. “This is amazing!”

“Yes, sir. Pick out any spot you’d like and I’ll gladly carry the basket for you.”

“Oh, okay.” Tony stood at the side of the road and took in a deep breath of air that filled his lungs. “Fantastic. How about over there, away from the road?”

“Excellent choice, sir.” 

Tony felt bad when he saw Sam go to the trunk and pulled out a bag, a folded cloth and a large flat item. “That’s a lot to carry. I’ll take the basket. It’s fine. I didn’t realize there was more.”

“Arty from the charity had me come by and pick it all up. He wanted the picnic to be perfect.”

When Tony chose a spot, Sam set down his items and sprayed the area for bugs. “You’ll thank me later,” he said with a laugh. “The flowers are beautiful, but they tend to lure bees and other insects.”

Once the spraying was done, the large cloth was unfurled and placed on the ground. The flat carrier held two small short tables, that each stood about ten inches tall, with a two-foot square surface. 

“Those are interesting,” Tony said.

“They’ll keep your food and drinks at a comfortable level and will help prevent spills.” 

“Perfect!”

Sam pushed the two tables together, creating a single two foot by four foot flat, raised area. After the tables were set up, Tony settled the basket onto the cloth and opened it up. Sam set out two large citronella candles, then helped Tony with the place settings. Other than the covered cheese and cracker and vegetable platters, they chose to leave rest of the food and wine in the basket with the ice packs until Tony’s date arrived. 

“Is there another limo bringing my date?” Tony asked as he picked up a few celery and carrot sticks before replacing the cover over the platter.

“I have no idea. I’ll wait in the limo until you’re done eating, then will pack everything up and drop it back off at the winery and to Arty.”

“And the wranglers will be here with the horses. You’ll be back here when we’re done with our trail ride, correct?”

“No, I was told you had a helicopter arranged to take you back to DC.”

“Oh yeah, you’re right,” said Tony. “This date is going to be a full day.” Looking around, he didn’t see anyone coming down the road yet, so he took off his boots and walked a few feet away from the blanket, where he settled into the grass, surrounded by wildflowers, and opened a book he was carrying. “I wasn’t sure how long I’d have to wait for my date,” he said, almost apologetically.

“No worries, sir,” said Sam. “I’ll be with the car if you need anything. Enjoy your date.”

“Thanks.” 

Tony had borrowed a copy of _The Hobbit_ from Tim. He remembered reading it as a young teen and liking it, plus he’d seen the movies. His goal was to have something interesting to help pass the time, but also something that he could put down immediately when his date showed up. 

It crossed his mind how perfect the day was. Looking up, he admired the blue sky, then glanced across the sea of sun-soaked wildflowers wavering in the slight breeze. “This is pretty perfect,” he said aloud. “I hope my date isn’t a dud.”

It was over thirty minutes later when Tony noticed Arty’s car coming down the road. His heart skipped a beat as he prepared himself to hear that his date had canceled or failed to pay the promised donation. Then he considered that maybe Bishop was right and Arty had made the winning bid, but wanted to remain anonymous as he was running the auction. 

The car smoothly pulled up behind the limo and the engine was turned off. Arty emerged from the driver’s side and nodded to Sam. Tony decided Arty was charming, nice looking and would be an acceptable date. Using one hand to shade his eyes, he noticed the passenger side door opening, and he sat up. It looked like…Gibbs. Gibbs?

Tossing his book onto the drop cloth, Tony began jogging toward the car. It was Gibbs! “Hi,” he called out, still a few feet away. 

“You’re barefoot,” Gibbs commented.

Tony’s eyes dropped to his feet, then he smiled and glanced over to Arty and Sam. “That’s why Gibbs is the lead investigator. He doesn’t miss a thing.”

Gibbs gently head-slapped Tony. “You can’t ride a horse barefoot.”

“Well, Boss, I think technically, you can. Perhaps it is unwise, but it is possible. And I do have boots over there. I just wanted to take them off while I was waiting.”

“I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

Tony shrugged. “I brought a book. What are you doing here?”

Shaking his head, Gibbs smiled. “I’m your date, Bonehead.”

“Really, Boss?”

Gibbs started walking across the field and motioned for Tony to follow him. 

When Tony caught up, he asked, “Why did you bid on a date? We can hang out together any time. Why spend so much money?”

Ignoring the question, Gibbs took a seat and helped himself to a few crackers and cheese slices. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. What’s for lunch?”

Opening the basket, Tony pulled out the gourmet sandwiches, homemade chips, a bowl of sliced fruit and the two salads. “It all looks really good,” he said as he opened the wine and filled the two glasses Sam had set out for them. “The lady at the winery was very nice. I’ll bet the food is delicious.”

Gibbs laughed and his eyes sparkled. “For three grand, I sure hope so.”

“Yeah, back to that. Why in the world did you bid three grand to eat lunch with me?”

“It’s for a good cause. Plus, a horseback ride. I don’t get a chance to ride nearly often enough.”

“But we can hang out any time. Why the bid? And why anonymously?”

“Let’s enjoy the meal, and then I’ll tell you,” he promised.

The pair waved to Arty as he returned to his car and left.

“Why did Arty drive you out here? I thought they had a lot of donated transportation.”

“I wanted to keep it a surprise and meet you here. It worked out. Arty’s an interesting guy and we had a chance to chat a bit.”

“And you’re terribly chatty today. I can tell.”

“I’m not at work, DiNozzo.”

They took their time eating and admired the view. When they finished with the sandwiches and salads, Tony reached into the cooler and brought out a couple of jars, handing one to Gibbs. 

“Looks like raspberry cheesecake. Clever!” said Tony as he dug in with a spoon. “Delicious!”

When the cheesecake was gone, Tony poured the last of the wine into their glasses and moved around the table to sit next to Gibbs. “Okay, tell me. Why?”

Gibbs stared out over the field and smiled. “We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“That’s very true.”

“You’ve seen me at my best and at my worst. I’ve dated a few women. You’ve dated…a lot. Over the last several months I’ve been thinking about things.”

“Like what?”

“Who knows me the best? Who can accept my dedication to the job? Who always has my back? The answer, Tony, is always you. I don’t know when it happened exactly, but I started thinking about you…differently.”

“How differently?”

Turning to face Tony, Gibbs softened his voice and placed his hand on Tony’s arm. “No pressure at all, really. But every time I think about who I want to spend the rest of my life with, it’s always…you. I just didn’t know how to ask you…for a date. A real date. Not sitting on my couch over a steak dinner watching John Wayne movies.”

“So you paid three grand to ask me out on a date?”

Gibbs chuckled. “I paid three grand so I didn’t have to ask you out on a date.”

“Three grand is a lot of money.”

“I didn’t want to lose. Besides, it’s a worthy cause.” 

“Yeah, it is.”

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes as they finished their wine. Tony put both wine glasses back on the short table and fished out the two bottles of water from the cooler and handed one to Gibbs. They watched as a trailer pulled up and two wranglers unloaded four horses and tied them to the trailer, groomed and saddled them. 

“Are you okay with this?” Gibbs asked softly.

Tony turned and smiled. “Of course. Ready for the trail ride?” he asked as he stood up quickly. “Just let me put my boots on.”

Catching up to him, Gibbs grabbed his arm. “I didn’t screw things up, did I? I understand you don’t feel the same way. It’s fine, really. I just wanted one day together. One date and…”

Tony placed his hands on Gibbs' cheeks and kissed him solidly. When he broke the kiss, he settled their foreheads together. “I feel the same way,” he whispered. “I’ve known I was in love with you since the time we were holed up doing a stakeout for the Salzburger case. I just never thought you’d be interested in pursuing anything more than being co-workers and maybe weekend buddies.”

Gibbs pulled back slightly. “The Salzburger case? That was before Kate.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“Huh. That’s interesting. All these years. I never noticed, never suspected.”

“I guess I’m good at hiding it. Even with all the investigators in NCIS, no one ever suspected. Not even Abby.”

Gibbs smiled. “Ducky knew. He told me to get over myself and ask you out.”

Tony laughed easily as he took Gibbs’ hand and began walking toward the horses. “Duckman has become a very astute profiler over the years. I wonder if Vance suspected.”

“Vance?”

“He’s the one who asked me to participate and I’ll bet he invited you to the auction.”

“He called me up to his office one day, and the brochure with all the dates was sitting on the conference table,” Gibbs said.

“Conveniently within your reach, I’ll wager.”

“Yeah. The director set us up! Tony, after this date is over, would you be interested in going out on a real date?”

“I’d love to.”

“Maybe we can rent a sailboat,” suggested Gibbs.

Tony grabbed both of Gibbs’ hands in his own and pulled him close for another kiss. “Or we could do steaks grilled over an open fire, then settle back and watch a few movies together.”

“We do that all the time.”

“Yeah, but now maybe you’ll let me spend the night?”

~End~  
07/14/2019  
© 2019 by Jacie


End file.
